Bicycle lighting systems which are operable from batteries or miniature generators are well known in the art. Most bicycle lighting systems consist of a headlamp for providing adequate light to illuminate the path that lies ahead of the bicycle. Other known bicycle lighting systems may also include a high-visibility tail lamp to indicate the presence of the bicycle to vehicles that are following the bicycle. Moreover, bicycle lighting systems are required safety devices for people bicycling at dusk or in darkness. Such lighting devices must be lightweight so as not to add too much weight to the bicycle and are also preferably aesthetically pleasing.
One limitation of prior art bicycle lighting systems is that most are multi-part assemblies with a separate headlight, a tail light and a power supply, all interconnected by open wiring. Such systems are unnecessary during daylight hours and add needless weight to the bicycle. In addition, they are time consuming to install and/or remove and subject to theft when the bicycle is left unattended.
For example, U.K. Patent No. 13,344 to Harton describes a bicycle lighting system including separate electric head and tail lamps arranged so that they may be independently switched on and off. The headlamp is secured to the bicycle head tube near the handle bar; while the tail lamp is attached to the rear wheel support frame. A batteries box and control switches assembly are secured to the frame of the cycle and connected to the lamps by wiring.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,430to Lyhne, it is taught battery covers for supporting and protecting batteries to be used for lighting on bicycle. The battery container is to be clamped in a bicycle frame and to be connected to the lamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,281 to Bloomfield teaches a vehicle lighting system that utilizes both generating means and battery means to provide constant lighting whether the bicycle is moving or not. The headlamp and the tail lamp are separately mounted on different parts of the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,171 to Martelet teaches a velocity-responsive lighting system including light means that are periodically illuminated in sequence for a period determined by the velocity of the vehicle. The switch and circuit assembly is secured to the horizontal top tube of the bicycle, while the rear light assembly is secured to the rear fender by a U-shaped bracket. The magnetically responsive switch assembly is attached to seat stay support member.
Other single lamp bicycle layout systems have been constructed to be removable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,848,235 to Wiley discloses a lamp mounting which is detachably securable to a mud guard of a bicycle or a motorcycle. The bracket readily conforms to the contour of mud-guards of various shapes and dimensions. The device provides a releasable clamping member by which the mounting may be firmly secured against displacement on a mud-guard without requiring the drilling of holes on the mudguard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,191 to Daniels discloses a bicycle lighting system which provides a turn indication feature. The housing for the battery power and the circuit is removably mounted upon an upstanding strut of the bicycle frame. The headlamp, the tail lamp, and the indicator lamp are each separately secured to other parts of the bicycle. Similarly, Spingler in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,108 teaches a rechargeable battery unit that is removably attached to a bicycle. The device includes a transfer switch to permit selective energizing of a headlamp and/or tail lamp from a battery or from a generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,656 to Ryan discloses a generator and rechargeable battery system for a bicycle. The battery system is secured to the seat tube of the bicycle. The headlamp is separately mounted to the handle bar, while the tail lamp is attached to the rear "mud-guard" of the bicycle.
None of the illustrated prior art bicycle lighting systems discussed includes an integral, one-piece, lighting assembly which is completely removably mounted on a bicycle. In each of the prior systems, the power supply, the headlamp, and the tail lamp are separately mounted on different parts of the bicycle. The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of known bicycle lighting systems by adapting an integral lighting system to secure as a totally removably-mountable lighting assembly for a bicycle. Such a lighting system can be mounted to the bicycle when it is needed and removed and safely stored when it is not. Thus, no extra weight is being "carried along" on the bicycle when no lighting system is needed. Further, the integral lighting system of the present invention can be completely removed from the bicycle to prevent theft of the system when the bicycle is left locked but unattended. The present integral lighting system is portable and can be secured in a backpack or briefcase.
Moreover, the specific construction of the present assembly provides a beam of light from the headlamp that is steady and does not jump from side-to-side as the rider of the bicycle moves the handle bar to turn or maneuver the bicycle. This is due to the fact that the headlamp is secured to the bicycle's frame, which will only move slightly from side-to-side while the handlebars are moved through large angles. Handlebar-mounted headlamps necessarily move through the same angle that the handlebar does.